The Torah portion of “Pekudei” presents a detailed account of the total donations contributed by the Children of Israel. The Torah specifies the amount of gold, silver, and copper that was received and, in the process, once again describes how each material was used in constructing the Mishkan (Tabernacle).
Nothing in the Torah is superfluous. From every word – and even from each letter – our sages derived halachic rulings or ethical teachings. Even in this parsha, which repeats the story of the Mishkan’s construction without seemingly adding new information, our sages extract profound lessons. One of these is a crucial trait that must be an integral part of a leader’s character: Transparency and accountability.
Moses, whom the entire generation of the desert knew as the “man of God” – the one who redeemed Israel from Egypt by divine command, who brought down the Torah from heaven, and through whom the manna descended – could have easily commanded the collection of donations for the Mishkan and the priestly garments, distributed the funds among the craftsmen, and expected the people to trust his integrity. And yet he did not.
The beginning of our parsha is dedicated to a meticulous accounting, whose sole purpose is to demonstrate an unassailable and transparent leadership. This is a vital message for that time and for all generations.
Midrash Tanchuma (attributed to Rabbi Tanchuma bar Abba, an amora – Torah authority in the Talmud – from the Land of Israel in the 4th century CE) describes the scene as follows:
Moses said: “I know that the Israelites are given to murmuring; therefore, I will render an account for them of all the work of the Mishkan.” He began to make a reckoning with them: “These are the accounts of the Mishkan,” and he provided an accounting for every item – gold, silver, and copper. He said: “The silver of the community census amounted to 100 talents and 1,775 shekels... One hundred talents of silver were used to cast the sockets... The copper offering amounted to seventy talents.”
However, as he went through the accounts of every item and how they were used in the Mishkan, Moses suddenly realized he had forgotten to account for 1,775 shekels, which had been used to make hooks for the pillars and were not easily visible. He stood there, perplexed, and said: “Now Israel will suspect me of taking them!”
He reviewed each and every element of the work, and then God enlightened his eyes. Moses looked up and saw that they had indeed been used for the hooks of the pillars. He immediately called out in a loud voice: “And the 1,775 [shekels] were used to make hooks for the pillars.” At that moment, Israel was appeased.
And what caused this situation? The fact that Moses took the time to give a full accounting: “These are the accounts of the Mishkan” (Midrash Tanchuma, Pekudei 7).
A leader holds power. He can say: “I know I am acting with integrity. It has never crossed my mind to steal, and those who know me should stop bothering me with their doubts and suspicions. They know who I am.” While this may be true, it is not wise.
Moses, the greatest leader of the Jewish people for all generations, teaches us that a different approach is far better. Even when a leader’s honor and authority whisper to him, “Enjoy your position of superiority; do not lower yourself or humble yourself before the people,” he should choose the alternative path. For in the long run, this is the easier road. It is better to suppress one’s ego at the outset than to struggle later with constant murmuring and a lack of trust from the people.
The Shnei Luchot HaBrit (a fundamental work on Torah philosophy and Kabbalistic interpretation by Rabbi Isaiah Horowitz) concludes his commentary on Parshat Pekudei by citing this midrash and adding:
“From here, every person should learn to be above suspicion… Let him not think ‘But I am a man of faith!’ Nonetheless, let him derive a fortiori reasoning from Moses our teacher...”
The writer is the rabbi of the Western Wall and holy sites.